Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Clinton upbeat on health debate

You've probably seen news coverage of former President Bill Clinton's visit to Capitol Hill yesterday to buck up the Democratic caucus on health legislation.

As it happened, I talked with him on the phone for about 30 minutes early Tuesday morning about the fifth anniversary events for his Little Rock presidential library and politics, including the health debate.

The editorial page in this week's Times is devoted to that conversation. Here it is early. You'll see that Clinton is upbeat about health legislation, never mind the Arkansas foot-draggers. He thinks, once something is passed, Democrats will accrue benefits from moving forward on a huge issue that has defeated other presidents, including himself, for decades. He commented:

People hire us to help out when things are in trouble. That's when Democrats win. We get hired to deliver. When we deliver on health it will be a very positive thing.

News in the interview? He hinted that an announcement may be near on completion of funding for the long-delayed conversion of the old Rock Island railroad bridge to a pedestrian/bike link between the library and North Little Rock. "It will be physically arresting in a very positive way," he said of its design.

More by Max Brantley

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge went to court late yesterday to get the state Supreme Court to halt mediation ordered by Circuit Judge Tim Fox in the case over issuing birth certificates to same-sex parents.

Little Rock police have identified two women found dead of gunshot wounds in an SUV parked next to a vacant trailer in a mobile home park at 11500 Chicot Road.

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